Thermic ice and snow remover



Feb. 11, 1941. R. CHANEY 2,231,251

THERMIC ICE AND SNOW REMOVER Filed March 20, 1939 ROY HANEY (2o 20/ BY 2 Ff@ 5. K2,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 20,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to ice and snow removing devices and more particularly to thermic tread devices for covering exposed surfaces, although certain features thereof may be employed with equal advantage for other purposes. y

It contemplates more especially the provision of an improved and simplified flexible tread link surface covering device having thermal means for effectively precluding and removing snow and ice formations.

Snow and ice formations on weather exposed surfaces such as sidewalks, roads, garage drives, and open platforms are a constant source of danger which impede passage thereon to such an extent that frequent attention must be directed to the manual clearance of these climatic precipitations. With the teachings of the present invention, a simple, inexpensive, time and labor saving device is provided for maintaining various and diverse weather exposed surfaces free from snow and ice formations at all times with! out requiring manual effort or additional labor to accomplish the result. Then, too, such precipitation can be removed or precluded from formation during the night or at times when the surfaces are not in actual or frequent use.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the construction and improve the operation of snow and ice removing devices for covering weather exposed surfaces.

Another object is to provide an improved thermic snow and ice removing device of simple and inexpensive fabricated construction.

Still another `object is to provide a fiexible thermic snow and ice removing pad for` covering weather exposed surfaces in its extended form and capable of being compactly collapsed into superimposed sections for storage purposes.

A further object is to provide a flexible thermic snow and ice removing pad defining a plurality of tread bar links interconnected to assume a collapsed shape by superimposing folds of tread links for storage purposes.

A still further object is to provide a thermic snow and ice removing pad comprising a plu nation with conduits operatively connected for' i939, serial No. 262,917

(ci. 21e-19) conduction of any available source of heat generating means.

An additional object is to provide a fiexible thermic snow and ice removing surface tread member capable of heating the confronting weather exposed surface suiliciently to prevent formation of ice and snow thereon while permitting the safe and unimpeded passage of pedestrians, vehicles and animals thereover.

Other objects and advantages will appear from y the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a device embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view in elevation taken substantially along line II--II of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tread bar link shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View in elevation taken substantially along line IV-IV of Figure 1.-

Figure 5 is a schematic wiring diagram showing a circuit for electrical resistance coils constituting the heat generating means provided in the device shown in Figure 1.

The structure selected for illustration comprises a flexible thermic tread member I0 of substantially rectangular configuration to provide the desired surface covering expanse for any standard, special or predetermined surface. The tread member i0 is, in this instance, fabricated from suitable component elements which may take the form of alternately disposed and arranged tread bar links Il and end tread links Il. The tread links iI-Il have, in this instance, their extremities pivotally connected by means of transversely disposed conduit pipes I2 which define a iiexible surface covering pad or tread member I0.

'I'he individual tread links il are, in this instance, stamped, shaped or otherwise formed of substantially U-shaped inverted metallic heat conducting and radiating bars assembled into a flexible tread member IIJ. It should be noted that tread bars li--II are alternately disposed in a plurality of adjacent linear series, in this instance eight, to define the desired rectangular area and expanse therefor. The alternate extremities of the bars or links II--li are pivotally interconnected by means of conduit pipesl2 extending through the adjacent linear series of links Il to present the comparatively light, flexible Weight sustaining surface covering tread pad -or member Ip which may be subjected to the severest service conditions in operative posltion.

Nevertheless, the assembled tread member III is sufficiently flexible to be compactly folded into a small collapsed unit for storage purposes. To this end, each tread link II has a flat supporting surface I3 with lateral depending spaced walls I4 provided, in this instance. with horizontally aligned apertures I5-I6 bored transversely therethrough to preferably though not essentially receive cylindrical tubular Abushings I'I-I8 pressed, welded or otherwise permanently fixed into the apertures I5-I6 on one of the link walls I4 to loosely project into the side walls I4 in adjacent links II-I I' for rigid'pivotal support on transversely disposed conduit pipes I2 journalled therein. The extent to which the bushing I1I8 project from the side walls I4 of the tread links II-II, determines their laterally adjacent spacing relative to each other.

In the present embodiment, the tread links Il and their pivotal bushing conduit mounts I2 are heated through radiation and conduction and preferably though not essentially by electrical resistance wires I9 confined within and extending through the transverse conduit pipe sections I2 that extend for and partially beyond the maximum width of the tread member I0. The coils I9 are connected in parallel (Figure 5) to Wires 20 and 2l to any suitable or available source of electrical energy such as an outlet plug or the like.

'I'he extremities of the conduit'pipe sections I2 are fitted With standard T pipe couplings 22 to Ithreadedly receive short sections of flexible electrically wired conduit 23 therebetween. The other ends of the conduit pipe sections I2 are provided with standard elbow pipe couplings 24 attached thereon in any suitable manner and oppositely disposed in pairs (Figure 1) to receive short segments of flexible electrically wired conduit 25 therebetween. In order to maintain the tread links II in parallel spaced relation with the intermediate tread links II', spacer collars 26 envelope the conduit I2 between the tubular bushings IIb extending from the side Walls I4 thereof.

The spacer collars 26 conform in exterior diameter with the bushings I'I and are interposed in spaces between the end tread links II to maintain them in their proper spaced relation. So that the end links I I will afford minimum obstruction to Walking on and off of the tread member I0, the top tread surfaces I3 of the extend links I I' extend beyond the side walls I4 rto present an outwardly inclined extension ZI that terminates in line with the bottom edges of the side Walls I4 of the end links I I. In order that the top surfaces I3 and I3 of the intermediate links I I and end links I I may extend as close as possible to each other to present an expansive and protective tread member surface with the minimum of interruption, the extremities 28 of the tread links I I-I I are preferably though not essentially arcuately curved so as to permit pivotal clearance between each other when the tread member ID is collapsed by reverse folding of one series of links II or II relative to the next adjacent series of links II or II'.

The bores or apertures I5-I6 aligned in the confronting side walls I4 of the tread links II-I I are so positioned that their spaced axial distance relative to each other in each side wall I4 is somewhat greater than twice their respective distances to the extremities 2l of the tread links II-II, thereby affording the reverse folding of longitudinally disposed links so that they can be effectively and compactly collapsed to occupy the minimum space when not in use. The collapsing is afforded by the flexible conduits 23-25 and the additional mounting of the tread links II-I I' relative to the transverse conduits I2 that determines the width of the tread member I0.

Thermal means other than the electrical heat members I9, may be substituted. For instance, the heat element I9 can be dispensed with and live steam directed through the transverse conduits or pipes I2 which, in this instance, would be connected in series by substituting hollow flexible tubing for the alternate short sections 23 on one side and all of the sections 25 on the other side so that the steam would follow a circuitous path through the conduits or pipes I2. In that way, the heat generated from the steam would be radiated and conducted through the pipes I2 and the body of the tread links II-I I. Other heating expedients may be resorted to and it is apparent that the tread member I0 can be assembled to approximate any required size, shape and expanse depending upon the surface to be covered for melting any snow and ice precipitation thereon and precluding any further formation.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of lthe invention herein specifically described Without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A device for removing snow and ice from weather exposed surfaces comprising a plurality of flat metallic chambered links to define a flexible metallic tread surface member of predetermined area, said chambered links being staggered to collectively present weather exposed top flat surfaces, conduit means alternately connected to opposite extremities of adjacent chambered links to serve as pivotal interconnecting means therefor, and heat producing means provided in said conduit means for elevating the temperature of said links and the surrounding areas thereof to transmit a melting influence to foreign substances proximate to the surfaces of said chambered links.

2. A device for removing snow and ice from weather exposed surfaces comprising a plurality of flat metallic chambered links to define a flexible metallic tread surface member of predetermined area, said chambered links being staggered to collectively present weather exposed top flat surfaces with confronting open bottoms, conduit means alternately connected to opposite extremities of adjacent chambered links to serve as pivotal interconnecting means therefor, and heat producing means provided in said conduit means for elevating the temperature of said links and the surrounding areas thereof Ito transmit a melting influence to foreign substances proximate to said surfaces.

3. A device for removing snow and ice from weather exposed surfaces comprising a plurality of at metallic chambered links to define a exible metallic tread surface member of predetermined area, said chambered links being staggered to collectively present weather exposed top flat surfaces with confronting open bottoms, conduit means alternately connected to opposite extremities of adjacent chamber-ed links to serve as pivotal interconnectors therefor, means disposed between said interconnected links for effecting the predetermined spacing thereof and supporting said conduit means, and heat producing means provided in said conduit means for elevating the temperature of said links and the surrounding areas thereof to transmit a melting infuence to foreign substances proximate to said surfaces.

4. A device for removing snow and ice from weather exposed surfaces comprising a plurality of at metallic chambered links ,to define a flexible metallic tread surface member of predetermined area. said chambered links being staggered to collectively present Weather exposed top flat surfaces with confronting open bottoms, conduit means alternately connected to opposite extremities of adjacent chambered links to serve as pivotal interconnectors therefor, heat producing means provided in said conduit means for elevating the temperature of said links and the surrounding areas thereof to transmit a melting influence to foreign substances proximate to said surfaces, and means interposed between the interconnected links forming lthe end tread members for maintenance thereof in proper spaced relation.

ROY CHANEY. 

